That Girl
by TessaStarDean
Summary: EricCalleigh. Spoilers for this week's episode. Short and very fluffy. Oh, and I ignored that Jake even exists. Sorry.


Their conversation replayed in her head for the rest of the day. She heard him say over and again that he wanted kids, that he was just waiting to find the right girl. Closing her eyes, she could see him squatting at the bottom of a slide, while his daughter slid down into his waiting arms. She knew that he would make a great father – knew it with every fiber of her being. But as she continued watching her imagined scene, someone else walked into her line of vision. A beautiful woman, she rested her hand on Eric's shoulder, her smile matching that of the little girl who so obviously had her eyes.

She shook her head suddenly, dispelling the image and cursing herself for the tears that built behind her eyes. She could be that woman if she weren't so busy being afraid. It was her own fault that she couldn't have the one thing she really wanted.

"Calleigh?"

Opening her eyes, she turned to see Eric standing next to her, his hand on his locker.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Calleigh shook her head, giving him a tight smile. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Come on, Calleigh. You've been off all afternoon."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You can tell when I'm 'off'?"

He laughed. "Of course I can." Looking over at her, his expression grew serious. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"I'm not sure I can put it into words," she said, shrugging. "And I'm pretty sure that even if I could, it would still come out wrong."

"You can tell me anything," he assured her. "You don't have to worry about how it comes out."

Calleigh nodded, looking into her locker and letting her thoughts churn for a minute. When she turned to face him again, a small smile rested on her lips.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" she asked.

He couldn't help but grin.

"I'd love to."

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They walked along the beach, shoes in hand. Water lapped against their ankles as the wet sand moved in between their toes, and the setting sun reflected off the ocean in a dazzling array of colors. Calleigh looked up at Eric, some of her earlier frustration lifting as she saw the peaceful look on his face.

"Can we sit?" she asked.

"Of course."

They sat down in the sand, their feet resting in the water before them. Eric was so close to her that they touched, and Calleigh had a hard time resisting the urge to rest her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a long time, drinking in the beauty of their surroundings, and the comfort they found in each other's presence. Glancing over at her friend, Calleigh realized that there was no other guy she would have even thought of doing this with.

"Talk to me, Cal," he said finally, his voice gentle. "Don't worry about how it sounds."

"All day," she said quietly. "I've been thinking about what you said."

"When?"

"When we were looking for the scuba gear. You said that you wanted to have kids. You were just waiting for the right girl."

He nodded. "Yeah. I remember."

"I…" She stopped, unsure if she could go on. But as the tears once again filled her eyes, she realized that it was now or never. "I want to be that girl," she admitted, refusing to meet his gaze.

She felt him stiffen beside her, and for that one moment in time, she was more scared than she had ever been in her life. Everything stopped, even her breathing, as she realized that she might have just lost her best friend. But then he was there – rescuing her, like he always was.

"Are you sure?" he asked, breathless.

Calleigh raised her eyes to his then, needing to see the truth in them.

"Yes," she whispered.

Their gazes locked, Eric moved his face closer to hers until she could feel the heat of his breath on her skin.

"Be sure, Calleigh," he warned. "Because once we start this, there is no coming back –"

She closed the distance between them, knowing that she was finally able to take the risk. He closed his eyes at the feel of her lips on his, his emotion choking him as he realized that he could finally have what he had wanted for so long. Raising one hand, he gently cupped her face and kissed her back, running his tongue along her lips until she opened up to him. Calleigh groaned softly into his mouth, one of her hands tangling in the collar of his shirt. Gently, he pushed her back onto the sand and rolled on top of her, their kisses growing longer and deeper. His lungs screaming for air, he finally pulled back and smiled down at her.

"I'd really like to take you to dinner," he said softly as brushed a stray hair from her face.

"I'd love to," she smiled. "Eric, I –" She stopped, taking a deep breath and telling herself that she was safe here. "I love you."

His smile was blinding as he leaned in kissed her again.

"I love you, Calleigh," he whispered. "I have for so long."

"I'm sorry for making you wait. I was…"

"You were scared," he finished.

"Yeah."

"You don't have to be afraid anymore," he told her.

"I know," she smiled. "I know."

She kissed him again.


End file.
